


(and i've been blind) i can never leave the past behind

by soniagiris



Series: the slivers of life [15]
Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Nightmares, Wordcount: 100-1.000, implied/referenced PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 20:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20802710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soniagiris/pseuds/soniagiris
Summary: Take me back to the night we met.





	(and i've been blind) i can never leave the past behind

**Author's Note:**

>   * **additional warnings in the end notes!**
>   * beta by mimi @mistropolis and sparrow @ikuzonos, thank u,,,

Surprising exactly no one, Hagakure turned out to have quite a skill at scrounging up various trinkets of varying usefulness. A month or so ago, he came back (from yet another mission) to the small, pre-war house the six survivors have been living in since their rescue, carrying a box of delicate flower-patterned mugs. None of them, surprisingly, looked affected by the ongoing conflict. And Togami is pleased by being able to drink his tea from a vessel that is not banged up to hell and back — like most of his possessions. That's just how it is now, he tries to tell himself, he needs to  _ finally  _ get used to that, yet he does find joy in little things misfitting this grim reality.

Blood. Having to go out armed, just in case. Another city bombed by the Despair. Naegi looking less and less hopeful each day. Dead family, dead families. Nightmares nearly each night.

And a nightmare is why Togami finds himself fixing a cup at three in the morning, his hands still shaking after the terrors of his dream. He spills a few droplets of hot water on the countertop, curses and hastily wipes it off. He then takes the mug outside, to sit in the tiny garden and brood. However, just as he opens the glass door, he sees someone move in the darkness, and freezes. His gun, he left it in his room, he's defenseless, and now—

"Calm down," a familiar voice says, and Kirigiri turns on a small battery lantern she's holding. The light floods over her pale features, a painting in white and black. "It's just me."

Togami scoffs to hide his relief. "Of course it's you," he says and steps outside, sits beside Kirigiri on a ratty plastic chair, separated from hers by a little table — both items, indeed, found by Hagakure. "Who else would be up at such a dreadful hour?"

"Apparently, you and I." She smiles slightly, then sets the lantern onto the table. With its glow closer to him, Togami can take a proper look at her. He raises his brows.

"What on earth happened to your hair?" he asks, a bit incredulously. It's common knowledge Kirigiri did try to take care of it as much as possible— and now choppy locks, clearly sheared off with a dull blade, barely touch her shoulders, nigh shorter than his own. Some curl into her face, one sticking to the remains of her lipstick. The look — does suit her, though. Togami files that observation away and watches Kirigiri shrug again.

"I think such a cut is more practical. Plus..." She doesn't finish, just raises her cup to her mouth without drinking from it, eyes faraway. 

Something in this moment feels oddly fragile, as if the seconds form an ethereal, wispy spider web, and Togami does not speak up, strangely afraid to break it. Instead, he observes Kirigiri, her long fingers and lightly trembling lips. The left sleeve of her uniform jacket, thrown over pyjamas, has slid down her forearm. Her wrists are so thin, Togami realizes, so thin and fine and mostly covered by the gloves — but where the dark leather isn't covering scars, there's soft skin and vulnerable bones. And, oh, what seemed like the very bottom of Kirigiri's glove is actually a ribbon tightly wrapped around her pulse point. The same ribbon she wore in her hair.

"Plus," Kirigiri says, and Togami sees her see him stare, "it is time we let go of the past. Or at least attempt to." She smiles. It's very small, and very sad, and so very sincere.

And Togami, for once unafraid, smiles back.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n
> 
>   * **cw: violence mentions; blood mentions; guns mentions; **
>   * **comment/kudo if you read/liked,** sometimes my serotonin levels seem to vary depending on the feedback. depression be like: feed me good words and clicks. wack :/
>   * title source: florence + the machine - shake it out; summary source: lord huron - the night we met. both are very rad songs that i quite recommend c:
>   * togiri, be it platonic or romantic, makes me have an Emotion. like. their dynamic is just so *clenches fists, then does the chef finger kiss* i would like an entire spinoff just about them dealing with each other and their parental issues. 
>   * recently i've been having Thoughts abt the hope's peak saga. especially the dr1 and dr3 kids. like. they still valid. even though v3 was quite awesome, i'm a sentimental bitch.
>   * apparently, there was a deleted scene in dr1 where, by its end, kirigiri cuts her hair. kodaka. kodaka-sama, why did you delete it. it would be so fucking Dope.
>   * if you wanna read more of my ramblings, check out my soc - i got both twitter and tumblr, same @ as here c: 


End file.
